how can i relieve my tension and improve my outlook?
Whether we know it or not, life is pretty much how we make it out to be because our perspective is something we choose.
When things happen to us, it is largely our decision how much we are affected by them for good or for bad. For example, when we face tension or change, we are being stretched, which is a good thing when it enhances our perspective. If we embrace the tension we face rather than fear it, little things remain little things, and life becomes an exciting adventure of growth and expanding horizons.
Deal with tension by using your heart to change your perspective
1. Identify your point of view and focus on good values
Everyone has a worldview in their heart that shapes how they think about life, and we need to be aware of how that works. You can build a positive point of view by choosing good values and aspirational goals and using them to guide your choices and your outlook each day.
2. Reframe your perspective and expand your resilience
Tension or change give you an opportunity to choose a positive perspective even if circumstances aren’t ideal. Psychologists say resilience is like a muscle that gets stronger when it is stretched. Reframing your perspective exercises your resilience and makes life more pleasant.
3. Adjust your mindset to become who you want to be
Your “set point” is your baseline for wellness you return to after emotional experiences. With focus, you can adjust your set point like a thermostat. For example, you can adjust your mindset to be more peaceful or optimistic and integrate that point of view into your identity.
[Note: Clinical anxiety is a medical condition and not just a frame of mind. Those struggling with clinical anxiety may desperately want to reframe their perspective to be more positive, but their condition makes that more difficult. They should seek professional medical help in parallel to working on behavioral methodologies, and those approaches can complement each other to improve even clinical anxiety.]
Here are some useful resources to help you change your perspective:
- Changing How We Think About Stress
- When Life Is Not Perfect
- Adjusting Our Perspective
- 10 Tips for How to View Life Better
Next Right Steps: For a month, keep reframing your perspective by choosing to be thankful and make gratefulness part of your set point.
